Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-06-17
THROUGH THE SUEZ CANAL.
How Many Great ships Are Engf-
neered at One Time Through the
Narrow Ditch.

Narrow Ditch.
A writer in The Satttrduy ReUie,O de-
scrbes how the traffic along the Suez
canal is directed and controlled from
the office at Terrepein, near Suez.
The number of ships in the canal at the
same time is sometimes very great. On
the Sth of December last, for example
fifteen steamers cleared the canal, of
which seven were outward bound. On
the previous day nine ships cleared. and
on the following day seven. so that
during the 9Th some thirty ships were
probably at one time in the canal
Sometimes there are rs many as forty,
and all are completely under the con-
troll of the French gentleman at his
desk in an upper chamber of Terre-
plein. The meth cd of work is exceed
ngly simple. Against the wall at one
side Of the room is narrow shelf or
platform. along which runs a groove
At intervals this trough or groove has
deep recesses, and at two places these
recesses are of a larger size. This
trough or groove represents the canal
The recesses are the sidings. The
larger intervals are the Great Bitter
lake and Iimsoh. When a vessel has
been signaled and is about to enter the
canal at, say the Suez end, small
toy boat or model. three or four inches
long, is chosen to represent her. A
group of these model ships stands ready
besides the model canal, each furnished
with flag. About forty have the En-
glish flag ten or a dozen the French
flag. and so on with other nationali-
ties. As the steamer comes up and
her name is known it is VIZ item on
paper and placed on the toy boat The
whole number of ships thus act ually in
the canal at any moment can be seen
at glance; and rs Geographic signals
give notice the toy boats are moved
along, or placed in siding, or shown
traversing one of the lakes at full
speed. Signals are sent from the office
to various 'gares" prescribing the
siding at which each ship must stop to
let another meet and pass it. The
official who is on duty keeps the
models moving as he receives notice,
taking care when perhaps two ships
going in opposite directions are both
nearing the same siding to give timely
warning to the p lots in charge by
means of the signal balls and flags at
each station under his control from the
office, and to direct VIII ch of the two is
to lie up and which to proceed Bar
ring accidents, the whole arrangement
goes like clockwork; the clerk can
read off in a moment the name, ton
mage, nationality, draft, and actual
situation of every steamer; he can tell
what pilot she has on board, what is
her breadth Of beam, what rate she is
moving at, and everything else which
had to be known about her. and he is
able without an effort to govern all her
movements, TO prescribe the place
where she is to pass the night, and the
hour which she is to get under way in
the morning. although he does not see
her, and probably never saw her in his
life. The fees which vessels pay for
passing through the canal are often
enormous. Some of the large liners of
the Z. & o. of the Orient service pay
as much as Fl. 800 in making single
transit. For every passenger half a
napoleon, or shiIlings pence, is
charged. Three fourths of the ships
that 60 through the canal are English.